Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 console faces an uncertain launch in the United States as new tariffs threaten to raise its retail price, even as preorders remain delayed domestically while proceeding elsewhere.
While gamers in the US anticipated opening preorders for the Switch 2, Nintendo unexpectedly held off, despite starting preorders in the UK and several other countries. This delay has led to growing speculation about whether the Switch 2 will be subject to a price hike due to unfolding tariff policies.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is officially scheduled to launch on June 5. The company initially announced a starting price of $450 for the base console and $500 for a bundle featuring Mario Kart World. However, on the very day of the Switch 2’s reveal, US President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs aimed at products from Japan—Nintendo’s home country—and Vietnam, the manufacturing site for the Switch 2.
Initially, these tariffs were set to impose a 46% rate on imports from Vietnam and a 24% rate on goods from Japan. However, later that same day, President Trump reversed course and issued a 90-day pause on the higher tariffs, instead instituting a lower reciprocal tariff of 10% on all impacted imports, effective immediately. In a statement shared on Truth Social, Trump noted, “I have authorized a 90-day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately.”
For now, Nintendo faces only the 10% tariff, sparing it from the immediate impact of the much steeper rates. However, the situation remains fluid. The 90-day tariff pause is set to expire on July 8. Should the original, higher tariffs return after this window, Nintendo could be forced to increase the Switch 2’s price for US consumers to compensate for the additional costs.
Industry analysts weighed in on how these changes could affect the Switch 2’s price in the United States. Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, predicted that the Switch 2 would still launch at $450. However, if the higher tariffs are reinstated after the 90-day grace period, Pachter expects Nintendo of Japan to ship consoles to Nintendo of America at the lowest possible cost to minimize tariff expenses. “I think it will be $75-$100 additional on price, maybe a tad more,” said Pachter, estimating the post-tariff price could fall in the $525 to $550 range.
When Nintendo revealed the Switch 2 on April 2, it did not disclose the price during the announcement stream. Interested buyers instead had to visit Nintendo’s website to learn of the $450 starting price and the $500 Mario Kart World bundle. This launch price marks the highest for any Nintendo console not adjusted for inflation, prompting speculation among some that it might already reflect possible tariff-related costs.
Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser addressed this speculation in an interview with The Verge, clarifying that, “Any previous tariffs were not factored into the price itself.” Bowser further defended the $450 price point in a separate interview with CBC, stating that the price is appropriate for the value offered by the new console. He acknowledged, “We recognize there are some people that may not be able to afford [the Switch 2’s] price point. That’s why we wanted to make the other Switch platforms available, so [people] still have an opportunity to come into our gaming universe, be a part of these characters in these worlds, and see the value, if you will, in whatever rung of the platform they come in.”
